Integrated circuit (IC) dice tend to be fragile and are typically packaged for protection from physical damage and for heat dissipation. ICs may comprise one or more passive and/or active elements, one or more layers of metal interconnects and one or more layers of dielectric material. An IC die and package are typically electrically interconnected via a first level interconnect (FLI) such as, for instance, by wirebonding or soldering. A second level interconnect (SLI) typically couples a package and the printed circuit board via a land, pin or ball grid array.
Operation of integrated circuits generates heat which may have a negative impact on reliability. Heat may be transferred away from an IC die by a thermal dissipation device (TDD), such as an integrated heat spreader (IHS). A TDD may be coupled to an inactive side of an IC die during packaging. Package assembly typically involves repeated thermal cycles which may induce thermomechanical stresses on the package assembly. Attachment of a TDD typically requires an additional thermal cycle to facilitate physical and thermal attachment of the TDD to an IC via a thermal interface material (TIM). A TDD is typically attached using clips, clamps or springs to control tension, position the TDD and to control bond line thickness (BLT). Clips, clamps or springs may increase thermomechanical stress on an IC. Such thermomechanical stress may cause physical damage to the integrated circuit and components of the package assembly resulting in device failure.